Bear Safety While Running

There have been a lot (more than usual) of black bear sightings in the area near my cottage recently. Neighbors have reported bears near (and even breaking into) their cottages and on the road, including multiple male bears and a mama bear with three cubs. I understand that black bears are not usually aggressive, but what should I do while out running to stay as safe as possible? I currently do not have access to pepper spray (or a running buddy). Would carrying a little bell be a good idea to alert bears of my presence? Any suggestions would be appreciated

Where are you living? I am interested in the answer to this question as well as we will be vacationing in an area that may possibly have black bears in a week. I don't want to encounter one on a trail. I do plan on carrying pepper spray.

I'd make noise as you run - sing, talk loudly to yourself, clap hands,etc. I'd use a cow bell, not the little bells they sell to tourists as "bear bells". Air horns also work. I'd avoid dusk and dawn times to run, and probably night. Not sure what your neighbors may think, but I've never dealt with bears where there's neighbors.

Are you in a vacation resort or city or ...? - trying to figure out cottages, neighbors, roads.

The bears seem to be habituated to humans and NOT afraid to break into cottage. This is not good and differs from backcountry bears. Have people been leaving trash out or birdfeeders or any source of food to attract bears - intentionally or otherwise? (people can be fined for that in Anchorage)

Does Fish and Game (or whatever they're called where you are) monitor bears and their behavior. In Anchorage, they generally tolerate bears wandering around as long as they aren't aggressive. They will deal with (as in kill it) a problem bear when it becomes threatening to people who are behaving themselves. A number of Anchorage bears are tagged, and ADF&G does track them.

They say that bears can run faster than horses...so it's best to NOT try to run from them, but face them with confidence, loud noises, and trying to make yourself look as big as you can. If you do end up running...do zigzags and frequent sharp turns. They're fast but apparently can't turn sharp.

“I run mostly to see things, to explore places I don’t know. And the places I do know…, then I get a sense of the weather, the shifting light, the seasonal changes; it can be pleasurable even when you hurl yourself into the teeth of nature.”

I see bear all the time when I am running. Black bear are usually nothing to worry about.

They travel the ridges so you will go aver a hill and boom they are right there. 15 yards away. So close you can see their nostrils open as they smell you. Go down on your hands and knees and move slightly in their direction.

I was moving the sprinkler the other night and a 400lb bear and two cubs were right there. All I had on was a pair of pink underwear with balloons on them and I thought they are going to find me like this.

The locals say you can out run a bear downhill because their front legs are shorter.

More seriously: I live in black bear country and occasionally see bears on my runs in late summer. I would recommend making noise as you run, though if you're a typical runner and on pavement, you probably make enough noise with your footfalls. Don't wear headphones, so you are more aware of what's going on. Most bears, if they are not surprised by you, will either run away or ignore you.

Additional Details: the "breaking into cottages" is mostly peoples porches, if they leave garbage around. There aren't that many neighbors, but it is a lake in Muskoka, Ontario (not too far from Algonquin Park) so there's always someone around a few kilometres away, and every time anyone sees I bear I seem to hear about it.

Thanks for all the tips took the labrador with me today and didn't see any bears

Additional Details: the "breaking into cottages" is mostly peoples porches, if they leave garbage around. There aren't that many neighbors, but it is a lake in Muskoka, Ontario (not too far from Algonquin Park) so there's always someone around a few kilometres away, and every time anyone sees I bear I seem to hear about it.

Thanks for all the tips took the labrador with me today and didn't see any bears

Seriously. Why not run with a gun? I know that seems crazy, but many people do. I think there is a forum somewhere dedicated to just that. They talk about gun stuff and what holsters they like, sort of funny to me, but they take it seriously. Personally, if I had to run in bear country, I'd be packing.

Seriously. Why not run with a gun? I know that seems crazy, but many people do. I think there is a forum somewhere dedicated to just that. They talk about gun stuff and what holsters they like, sort of funny to me, but they take it seriously. Personally, if I had to run in bear country, I'd be packing.

I'd make noise as you run - sing, talk loudly to yourself, clap hands,etc. I'd use a cow bell, not the little bells they sell to tourists as "bear bells". Air horns also work. I'd avoid dusk and dawn times to run, and probably night.

(a friend of mine was trampled by a moose her dog brought back to her driveway, broke collarbone and not sure what else)

Search for "bear" under adn.com, and you'll find lots of bear stories, including one crashing a birthday party and getting cupcakes. Many (most?) of those stories involve trash. Maybe educating neighbors about proper trash disposal may help?

When you go to Yellowstone, they give you instructions about how to handle bear encounters. They say things like make a lot of noise as others have recommended and never get between a mother and her cubs. They say that if a bear charges you, you should make yourself as big as possible, yell, and hold your ground. They make no mention of your bowels.

To be safe while running, bears should wear brightly colored clothing, preferably with some reflective material. They should run against traffic and wear properly-fitting shoes. Some argue that bears should not wear headphones while out running, as it makes it harder to be aware of their surroundings.

To be safe while running, bears should wear brightly colored clothing, preferably with some reflective material. They should run against traffic and wear properly-fitting shoes. Some argue that bears should not wear headphones while out running, as it makes it harder to be aware of their surroundings.

To be safe while running, bears should wear brightly colored clothing, preferably with some reflective material. They should run against traffic and wear properly-fitting shoes. Some argue that bears should not wear headphones while out running, as it makes it harder to be aware of their surroundings.

I ran into the largest black bear I have ever seen while out for a run yesterday. I had my earbuds in and when I crested a small hill, it stepped out in front of me. I froze and so did the bear. I started to walk away back wards and it turned it's head toward me and sniffed but didn't make a move to follow. I continued my backwards retreat and it watched until I got back to top of hill, then it looked across the road and continued on it's journey. Whew! Third bear of the year, but def the closest and biggest. Now I am considering urban running, even though I prefer solitude. I am on the Upper Michigan/Northern Wisconsin border.

Last fall I topped a hill on a paved back road and ran into a bear cub topping the hill from the other side. I yelled and made sure it knew I was there. The cub didn't seem to care and just kept coming. Mom bear was not visible, so I thought maybe she was already across the hill and along side or behind me. I quickly backed away and finally left the area.

These bears were too used to people which made me very nervous. The cub and momma should have run.

Unless you get between Mom and cubs or it's sick black bears won't bother you. I have them outside my house almost daily. I think I could run up to one and kick it in the ass and it would just run away